Looking the wrong way

August 22, 2014 1:00 am

Re: "Voluntary declaration is useless", Letters, August 21.

It is all very well for letter-writer Songdej Praditsmanont to complain about the declaration of assets by army personnel in government, but how successful has the system been in prosecuting corrupt ministers? Those who enrich themselves in office deflect the investigations away from the crimes and down a blind alley. The money is not funnelled directly to the corrupt minister but through his aides, who are not part of the declaration system.

I have been in Thailand for 18 years. How many such cases have been prosecuted in that time and how many successfully? What is needed is a strong Attorney General's office with a mission to root out corruption, and one that does not allow criminals to influence its judgements.